The present invention relates to a mounting structure of a propulsion device for an inflatable boat and particularly, to a mounting structure of a propulsion device installed at the bow of an inflatable boat.
Because of its portability, the inflatable boat is very popular among boating lovers. In general, the inflatable boat can be propelled in two ways: one is by rowing; the other is by installing a propulsion device at the stern of the boat, which is steered by the boater. One of the ways to mount a propulsion device at the stern used currently is shown in FIG. 1; the whole propulsion device 100 is pivotally mounted to a rigid frame 102, which in turn is anchored to a hull 104. The boater usually sits sideway in the boat, his hand holding a steering handle 101 to control the direction and movement of the boat. Another way of mounting a propulsion device 100 is illustrated in FIG. 2. A link 100a is detachably made to pass through channel 105 of the hull 104, and the boater steers the boat in the same way as in the first stance. Both conventional ways of mounting the propulsion device mentioned above have the following drawbacks:
(a) The boater has to sit sideway and thus cannot pay attention to the sides while the boat is moving.
(b) The direction of the movement of the steering handle is just opposite to that of the boat; it takes a beginner quite a long time to adjust to this.
(c) The mounting method as shown in FIG. 2 is only suitable for boats wherein the motor 100b directly moves the propeller 100c. If the propeller 100c is driven by an engine through a power transmission shaft 100d (see FIG. 1), the strength will be weakened due to the fact that the power transmission shaft and the exhaust pipe are detachably assembled; in addition, it is very inconvenient to install, and hence unfit for this mounting method.